Thoughts (and occasionally fuming) about the state of science, fiction, and science fiction.

by author and technologistEdward M. Lerner

Tuesday, November 27, 2012

Stars for the holidays

This being an SFnal blog and Christmas being almost upon us, what could be apter than a plug for Arthur C. Clarke's excellent short story "The Star"? If you haven't encountered it ... check it out. (Read the story before looking it up on the Wikipedia. The summary has a spoiler.)

Alpha Centauri

And that sorta, kinda begs the question: what's new in astronomy? I'm glad you asked!

Closer to home (but not exactly homey), astronomers got their first good look at Makemake. No, that's not a type of sushi. It's one of five (so far) recognized "dwarf planets" in the Solar system. Makemake is about two-thirds the size of Pluto -- and (on average) even more remote. No atmosphere, either. For more, see "Dwarf planet Makemake examined for the first time."

Curiosity

Closer still, it's long been believed that the radiation environment on Mars's surface would be (over the long term) lethal. Unlike the Earth, Mars has very little magnetic field to deflect the solar wind. And Mars has a very thin atmosphere with little oxygen. That argues for a less-than-effective ozone layer to block UV rays. The Curiosity rover, though, has measured the Martian surface radiation environment, and it's comparable to what astronauts experience on the International Space Station. See "Evidence indicates astronauts could survive on Mars."

But will astronauts get to Mars? That will require -- besides buckets of investment that don't seem imminent -- a degree of technical sophistication. Hence it's discouraging to encounter the latest dispatch from the Department of It's Not Rocket Science. To wit: NASA hasn't figured out that laptops can be stolen. And so we see that "NASA Suffers 'Large' Data Breach Affecting Employees, Contractors, and Others."

In 2012, how could anyone possibly be expected to encrypt sensitive data on laptops? Oh, wait ...

To end as we began, on an SFnal note, consider this question from io9: "Why doesn’t Syfy have a show like Battlestar Galactica any more?" An excellent piece, I think -- though I have a higher opinion of Caprica than does the article's author. And as far as I'm concerned The Sarah Connor Chronicles was as good (though sadly, cut down in its prime) as BSG.

A Time Foreclosed

Probe

Moonstruck

“Moonstruck is not just another alien invasion novel, but truly an original performance." — Science Fiction Book Club

Frontiers of Space, Time, and Thought

"If you only read one Hard SF book this year, make it this one. You won’t regret it."— Tangent Online

ARMAGEDDON / PARADISE -- two books in one

"A romp through time and history ... an intriguing selection." — Bookloons

Energized

"A taut near-future thriller about an energy-starved Earth held hostage by a power-mad international cartel … Lerner’s vision of the future is both topical and possible in this crisp, fast-paced hard SF adventure.” —Publishers Weekly

Creative Destruction

"For its compelling vision of what could be, you will want take more than a glimpse of Creative Destruction.” — Fast Forward: Contemporary Science Fiction

Fate of Worlds (FOW #5)

“Brings to a stunning close a multivolume saga that has captured the imaginations of a multitude of readers … a story that will attract attention from series fans as well as readers of hard sf.” — Library Journal

Juggler of Worlds (FoW #2)

“A snazzy thriller/mystery that keeps us (and our hero) guessing until the very end ... Wide screen galactic scope, nifty super-science, crafty aliens, corporate corruption and cover ups, and a multi-leveled spy vs. spy vs. spy mystery with little being as it first appears make Juggler of Worlds a first class exemplar of pure SF entertainment.” —SFsite

Fleet of Worlds (FoW #1)

" ... Needs recommending within the science fiction community about as much as a new Harry Potter novel does – well, anywhere." —Locus

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About Me

I'm a physicist and computer scientist (and an MBA, of less relevance to most of these posts). After thirty years in industry, as everything from individual technical contributor to senior vice president, I now write full-time. Mostly I write science fiction and techno-thrillers, now and again throwing in a straight science or technology article.